Field and Stream - Hunting Ducks and Geese RSS

The 35 Best Photos From Field & Stream's 2012 Spring Trail Cam Contest: Round II

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:15:02 -0400

Who says trail cams are only fun in the fall? Set yours out this spring, then send us your best photos. You could win a new Bushnell Trophy Cam HD (MSRP $323.95).

Here's how it works. This contest will have three rounds. The first, Round I, began, March 12, and closed on April 12. Round II ran from April 12 to May 12, and Round III from May 14 to June 14. We're giving away three Bushnell Trophy Cam HDs (MSRP: $323.95) in each round, one cam each to the top three entries, as chosen by our editors.

Congrats to users luna, mod70 and Semibald, who each have won a Trophy Cam for their shots in Round II.

So go set your trail cams up already. And have fun! --The Editors

Click here for more info on the prizes.

Click here to enter ROUND III of the 2012 SPRING TRAIL CAM CONTEST

Video Remix: Man vs. Goose - Star Wars Style

Sarah Smith — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:50:11 -0400

--Chad Love

If there's one thing that's more dangerous than an enraged, territorial Canada goose, it's a Jedi-trained, lightsaber-wielding, enraged, territorial Canada goose. Fortunately, it appears the Force is strong in the man in this video.

Wild Chef's Best: Fish and Turkey Recipes

Online Editors — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:16:11 -0400

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos from April 2012

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 02 May 2012 09:25:49 -0400

Each month, Field & Stream editors review the hundreds of photos submitted by readers to our Trophy Room. If your photo is chosen to be printed in the Game Faces section of the magazine, you’ll win a Rapala Fish ‘N Fillet knife!

Submit your photos here!

Here are the other best reader photo collections from this year:

January 2012

February 2012

March 2012

Washington Remains 1 of 3 States to Ban Electronic Duck Decoys

Sarah Smith — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:22:10 -0400

--Chad Love

You may recall earlier this year that some waterfowl hunters in the state of Washington were pushing for the legalization of electronic duck decoys.

Washington is one of three states that ban their use, and after a recent vote of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, it looks like Washington will remain one of three states that ban their use.

From this press release from the fish and wildlife commission:

New hunting rules approved by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission for the 2012-14 seasons will expand hunting opportunities for elk and cougar, but leave intact the statewide ban on using electronic decoys to attract waterfowl.

The commission, a nine-member citizen panel that sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), took action on those and dozens of other proposed rules during a public meeting March 13-14 in Olympia.

Thoughts? Reaction?

The 50 Best Photos From Field & Stream's 2012 Spring Trail Cam Contest: Round I

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:22:02 -0400

Who says trail cams are only fun in the fall? Set yours out this spring, then send us your best photos. You could win a new Bushnell Trophy Cam HD (MSRP $323.95).

Here's how it works. This contest will have three rounds. The first, Round I, starts today, March 12, and closes on April 12. Round II runs from April 12 to May 12, and Round III from May 12 to June 12. We're giving away three Bushnell Trophy Cam HDs (MSRP: $323.95) in each round, one cam each to the top three entries, as chosen by our editors.

Congratulations to users Kim Doucette Kelly, Isham C. Shelby and Stephen Schimacher who each will receive a camera for their entries in Round!

So go set your trail cams up already. And have fun! --The Editors

Click here for more info on the prizes.

Click here to enter ROUND II of the 2012 SPRING TRAIL CAM CONTEST

Photo Timeline: Celebrating 75 Years of Ducks Unlimited

Online Editors — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:29:28 -0400

Seventy-five years ago this month, a small group of avid waterfowlers took bold action to help restore waterfowl populations devastated by drought and wetland drainage. Led by printing magnate Joseph Palmer Knapp and other members of the More Game Birds in America Foundation, these conservation pioneers founded a new organization with the singular mission of protecting and restoring wetlands in Canada, where the majority of the continent's waterfowl are raised.

A year after outlining their plan, the dream of Knapp and his colleagues became a reality. Ducks Unlimited, Inc.—the U.S.-based entity that would serve to gather and disperse funds—was incorporated on January 29, 1937, in Washington, D.C. Ducks Unlimited Canada, the entity that would actually carry out the founders' ambitious plan, was incorporated shortly thereafter in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on March 10. This is a timeline history of Ducks Unlimited from that date to the present.

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos from March 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:00:43 -0400

Submit your photos here!

Here are the other best reader photo collections from this year:

January 2012

February 2012

A Call For Gun Dog Tips From F&S Readers, Win a FireKnife

Dave_Maccar — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:15:49 -0400

by Chad Love

First, thanks for all the great name suggestions for my new pup.

I really did read every one both on the blog and on Facebook, and in the end we named him Ozzy. Not for any particular reason or after any particular person, we simply decided that, for some reason, he just looked like an Ozzy. Although I will say that, thanks to his exceedingly calm demeanor, he almost ended up being named "The Dude."

I'm happy to report that Ozzy is doing just fine and settling in with the other dogs. In the short time he's been here he's already gotten himself caught in a pigeon trap, broken into the pen where I keep my training quail, learned that an open dishwasher door means good licking opportunities, and (somehow, when I wasn't looking) caught and partially ate his first gopher. Or maybe the gopher was already dead from one of the neighborhood cats. I don’t know. All I know is when I came around the corner of the house he was gnawing on the gopher's head. I'm sure the rest of it will show up in a few hours...

With that out of the way, I'd like to introduce a new feature here on the blog, one I've been wanting to try out for a while, but it all depends on you.

One of the neat things about writing a blog like this is getting the interaction and exchange of idea with readers. I love hearing about better, cheaper or innovative ways of doing things, so what I'd like to do is start up a semi-regular blog feature showcasing reader-supplied training tips. However, it doesn't strictly have to stick with training. If you have a favorite tip or trick you use regarding any aspect of gun dog ownership, training, care or bird hunting with your dog, share it with us. It could be a money-saving tip, a time-saving tip, or a sanity-saving tip.

Do you make any of your own equipment or substitute other items for expensive training gear in order to stretch your budget? Let us know (here's an example). Or maybe an indispensable piece of kit you always take along on your hunting trips? You get the idea.

Send your tips to fsgundogtips@gmail.com and try to include a picture to better demonstrate the concept or practice of your tip. Periodically I'll choose a tip to feature on the blog, and if it's yours, you'll win a Swedish FireKnife from Mora and Light My Fire. I mean, FireKnife just sounds cool, doesn't it?

As a good example of out-of-the-box thinking, here's a great idea from the always-interesting 8 More Miles bird hunting blog wherein the blog author brainstorms and then fabricates a very handy, neat and portable roll-up multiple-dog chain gang for use on extended hunts.

From the blog:

This summer, I think I've built a better chain gang. For those of you unaware, the chain gang is a useful tool if you've got a bunch of bird dogs in your care. Trainers use it so an entire pack of dogs can observe others being trained. For me, they make a lot of sense when you're airing, watering, and feeding a string of dogs.

Last year in Montana, we had six dogs, and every night at feeding time, we hammered six stakes into the often-hard ground. After two weeks on the road, it got a bit old.

This year, we'll have eight dogs. The chain gang lets you hammer just two stakes -- one at each end -- and you hook up a dog every six feet on 18-inch drop chains. It gives the dogs plenty of room to stretch out, drink and eat, do their business, all while not tangling (literally or figuratively) with one another.

After a lot of Internet reading, discussions with buddies, and scores of visits to various hardware stores, I came up with a pretty handy system that I think will suit my needs well.

That was a great idea that served his needs and didn’t break the bank in the process (further chain gang details can be found on the blog). That's what we're looking for. So if you have a favorite Nugget 'O Wisdom, send it along to fsgundogtips@gmail.com. Fame, fortune and beautiful groupies await those lucky enough to be chosen*

*not really, but send your tips along, anyway.

Matching 1984 Hand-Engraved Holland & Holland Shotguns Go for $135,000

Sarah Smith — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:44:36 -0400

Anyone who says guns can't be high art hasn't laid their eyes on this spectacular, custom-made matched pair of Holland & Holland shotguns commissioned in 1984 by a wealthy Texas businessman. These bespoke beauties took three years to complete, and feature some of the most stunning and detailed engraving ever seen on a shotgun.

Ducks Unlimited to Receive B&C Conservation Award

Online Editors — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 11:14:49 -0400

--Chad Love

Ducks Unlimited has picked up a major conservation award from the Boone & Crockett Club.

From this press release on the DU website:

Ducks Unlimited has been chosen to receive the Boone and Crockett Club's (B&C) prestigious Theodore Roosevelt Legacy Award for 2012. B&C President Ben Wallace presented the award to DU CEO Dale Hall on March 14 during the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Atlanta. The award was created in 2008 to honor the collaborative spirit of America's greatest conservationist, Theodore Roosevelt.

"This award is a way for us to highlight and encourage people and organizations working together to achieve great things," said B&C President Ben Wallace. "Cooperative partnerships have proven crucial throughout the history of conservation—and they're going to be even more important in the future."

Etched on the award, the Boone and Crockett Club thanks DU "For its 75 years of extraordinary dedication to conserving over 12 million acres of waterfowl habitat and influencing 96 million more through partnerships and policy." "Ducks Unlimited is truly honored to receive this prestigious award," Hall said. "The Boone and Crockett Club and Ducks Unlimited have a rich conservation partnership history, sharing a strong commitment to wildlife and conservation. This award is especially humbling to me as a professional member of B&C. We are extremely proud of our long association with Boone and Crockett."

Congratulations to DU on its well-deserved award. How many of you are DU members?

Is Waterfowling Becoming America’s Sport of Kings?

Sarah Smith — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:54:02 -0400

by Phil Bourjaily

At SHOT I ran into my friend Mike who works for a maker of game calls and accessories of all kinds. I asked if there was anything new in duck and goose calls. “Waterfowl sales are soft,” he said. “Having a duck lease costs a lot of money and not many people can afford it anymore. Waterfowl is getting to be our own little sport of kings here in America.” I had just come from the Benelli booth, where I saw the new Performance Shop Super Black Eagle II.

It’s an already expensive gun with enough aftermarket barrel and choke work done to give it a $2900 sticker price. Yes, that is a lot of money for a semiautomatic shotgun. And yes, the first run of 600 had already sold out.*

So, while affordable duck calls like the ones Mike’s company makes aren’t selling in huge numbers, at least 600 people in the United States apparently have money to spend on a high-end waterfowl gun, and, I assume, a lot to spend on their waterfowl hunting in general. Waterfowling has always attracted the wealthy, but there used to be room for the regular guy in the sport, too.

I am lucky to live where leasing is not a strong waterfowl tradition. I can walk in and hunt ducks on a public area for free (I do get what I pay for: the hunting isn’t very good, but the price is right). Still, I have some very good free duck hunts with nothing more than a 5-gallon bucket, a bag of a dozen decoys, waders and a pump gun. I hope that is still true everywhere, although I fear it may not be.

*When Benelli first introduced its Performance Shop line a couple of years ago, I mocked them in print for trying to sell $2500 semiautos in the midst of a global financial crisis. The Performance Shop guns have sold very well. Benelli was right, I was wrong. Shows what I know about selling guns. Also, they are good guns. I shot the Performance Shop turkey SBE a couple of years ago, which comes tuned to shoot Federal Heavyweight 7s. The patterns were frighteningly dense.

Enter The 2012 Spring Trail Cam Photo Contest to Win a $323 Camera from Bushnell!

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:59:09 -0400

The 2012 Spring Trail Cam Photo Contest

Who says trail cams are only fun in the fall? Set yours out this spring, then send us your best photos. You could win a new Bushnell Trophy Cam HD (MSRP $323.95)!

Here's how it works. This contest will have three rounds. The first, Round I, started March 12, and closes on April 12. Round II runs from April 12 to May 12, and Round III from May 12 to June 12. We're giving away three Bushnell Trophy Cam HDs (MSRP: $323.95) in each round, one cam each to the top three entries, as chosen by our editors.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER YOUR PHOTO IN ROUND I!

Meanwhile, click through this gallery of the best photos from last year's Spring contest.

The 45 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos of February 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:46:15 -0500

Submit your photos here!

Here is the gallery of the best reader photos from January 2012.

Shotgun Tip: The Right Way to Shoot a Double

Online Editors — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:21:18 -0500

This video shows the right and wrong way to shoot a double. As I say in the narration, the best way to shoot a double is to choose your first target wisely. Pick a bird to shoot that leaves you in the right place to take the second shot.

With the geese in the video, there’s a bottom and top bird. If you shoot the bottom bird first, the second one is in clear view and it’s an easy move up to it to complete the double. Sometimes when there are two birds--one behind the other--it’s easier to swing through the second bird and keep moving the gun to the leader. Do it the wrong way, as in the sea duck video, and your first shot blocks your view of the second, making it much more difficult.

That said, I am being unfair to the shooter in the sea duck video. Although he puts his gun in the wrong place for the double, he does the right thing in taking the easy bird first. Then, when it folds obviously dead, he tries for a second.

The difference is, the first hunt is in a cornfield where cripples are easy to catch, the second is on open water where even power boats and retrievers are no guarantee you will recover a crippled duck, much less two crippled ducks at once. Part of planning a double is knowing when not to shoot one.

NJ Man Arrested for "Hunting" Geese, Drunk, with Mini Crossbow

Sarah Smith — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 09:51:21 -0500

--Chad Love

If your goose hunting gear checklist includes any (or all) of the following: a crossbow, a switchblade, a ten-inch Rambo-looking knife, a boot knife, and of course, alcohol, then you may want to double check your state hunting regulations (and season dates), or you may end up like this guy.

From this story on northjersey.com:

Police arrested a New Milford man on several weapons charges after a witness told police he was seen hunting geese with a crossbow near the Dorchester apartments. John Hall, 49, of New Milford was arrested yesterday by officers and charged with three counts of weapons possession, possession of a prohibited weapon and disorderly conduct. He was released on $20,000 bail, with 10 percent allowed.

New Milford Police Chief Frank Papapietro said officers were sent to the Dorchester apartments around 8:45 a.m. on Sunday, March 4, after a report was received that a man was seen hunting geese with a crossbow in the area of the apartment complex. Lt. John O'Malley and Officers John Moroney and Kevin Van Saders arrived in the area and saw a man carrying a yellow duffle bag.

The officers stopped the man, identified as Hall, and began speaking with him, police said. While conducting an interview, officers reported detecting an odor of alcohol on his breath, said Papapietro. "He was asked to place his duffle bag on the ground, at which time officers observed a large knife handle protruding from his waistband," Papapietro said. At that time, police secured Hall and a search of his person led to the recovery of one 10-inch knife, one four-inch switchblade in his front pocket and a four-inch knife in his boot, the chief said. Officers also searched his duffle bag and found two mini-crossbows - one of which was loaded - and 60 six-inch arrows, said Papapietro.

Of course, they do things a little differently in Jersey, and this may be a completely normal hunting method for the Garden State--maybe some Jersey boys could shed some light on things...

Clay Target Guys Can't Hit Feathers...Or Can They?

Online Editors — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:33:36 -0500

by Phil Bourjaily

I have heard a lot of hunters say “Take those clay target guys hunting and they can’t hit a thing.” I’ll disagree. Most good clay shots are good field shots, too. The best display of field shooting I have ever seen was put on by Sporting Clays champion Andy Duffy over the course of the two days we hunted grouse together in Minnesota a few years ago.

But, there are adjustments to make when you switch from clay to feathers. After a summer of practice at skeet and sporting clays, I shoot too far in front of real birds at first. Why it happens I don’t know. Maybe it’s the optical illusion presented by clay targets moving faster than they appear to be. Whatever the case, clay targets often require more lead than you think they should, while real birds often need less.

I’m not the only one with that problem. My predecessor Bob Brister--a great shot--used to write about shooting too far in front of birds at the beginning of the season. I saw a perfect example on the last day of goose season last month. I took my friend Peter, who graduated high school five years ago with my older son. Peter had a terrific Sporting Clays season last year, making a spot on Iowa’s All-State team, but he didn't have time to hunt much this fall, so he was still in clay mode when we put out the goose spread.

Long story short, I killed a goose out of a trio that split off a larger flock and was out retrieving it when the two survivors circled back and flew about ten yards high over Peter’s blind. He hesitated, because he is polite and I wasn't there. I screamed “Shoot those geese!” so he lead them too much, shot three times, and they flew away.

Naturally, I was sympathetic. I said, “You clay target guys can’t hit a real bird, can you?”-- a remark I will no doubt pay for on the sporting clays course this summer.

The 50 Best Shots From The 2011 Field & Stream Fall Trail Cam Contest

Online Editors — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:03:25 -0500

Here are the editors' picks for the 50 best entries in our 2011 Fall Trail Cam Photo Contest. Congrats to KSwhitetails who took first place with his "Bobcat catches a turkey in flight" shot and will receive the grand prize: a pair of Steiner 10x42 Predator Xtreme binoculars.

Congratulations to all this year's winners and thanks to everyone for the hundreds of great submissions.

You can check out the top photos from each round of the contest here:
ROUND I
ROUND II
ROUND III
ROUND IV

Fewer Snow Geese In Texas, Fewer Hunters

Sarah Smith — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:43:00 -0500

--Chad Love

Hunter participation in Texas' post-season conservation order snow goose hunts has plummeted, as the number of birds wintering in Texas has declined dramatically.

From this story in the Houston Chronicle:

During the 2000 snow goose conservation season, almost 28,000 waterfowlers went afield in Texas. They took, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department surveys, a little more than 102,000 geese. The next two years, participation fell a bit, to about 18,400 in 2001 and 21,700. Then things changed, drastically. In the early 2000s, the number of snow geese coming to the Texas coast nose-dived as the birds began a major shift in wintering grounds.

Mid-winter counts from the mid-1970s to late 1990s had tallied 800,000 to as many as 1.2 million snow geese on the Texas coast. By 2002, that number had dropped to barely a half-million. At the same time, wintering populations in states to the north - Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas - were exploding.

Texans' participation in the conservation season fell with goose numbers. By 2005, Texas' mid-winter counts estimated 405,000, and fewer than 7,000 waterfowlers hunted during the conservation season. The 2010 season drew fewer than 2,000 participants. This past year, TPWD surveys estimated a record low of only 1,676 hunters chased snows during the conservation season - almost a 95-percent decline in participation over 12 years. The drop in Texans' participation is blamed on the decline in Texas snow goose numbers, the wariness of adult snow geese and the overblown expectations of goose hunters.

Your thoughts? As most waterfowlers know, the post regular-season light goose conservation order hunt was created to control exploding light goose numbers by allowing hunters to use electronic calls, unplugged shotguns, extended shooting hours and no bag or possession limits. However, even with those allowances snow geese are one of the wariest, most difficult-to-fool birds out there. They're smart, long-lived, and hunting them requires a substantial investment in time and equipment. How many hunters participate in the conservation order hunt in your state, or have at least tried it? Have any success?

The Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From January 2012

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:06:52 -0500

Submit your photos here!

Here are the monthly Best Reader Photo Galleries from last year:
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November

Happy 75th Anniversary Ducks Unlimited!

Sarah Smith — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:33:58 -0500

by Chad Love

This past weekend marked the 75th anniversary of that most venerable (and venerated) of sportsman-based conservation groups, Ducks Unlimited. What began as a small group of Depression-era hunters trying desperately to save our dwindling waterfowl populations in the depths of the Dust Bowl has grown into one the largest, most recognizable and respected conservation brands in North America.

From a DU press release:

"DU's 75th anniversary is a monumental moment in conservation history," said Dale Hall, CEO of Ducks Unlimited. "This anniversary˜and the last 75 years of science-based, on-the-ground conservation work across North America˜would not be possible without the dedication of our volunteers and supporters, as well as the partners who time and time again helped us succeed in our mission. This celebration is as much theirs as it is ours."

Ducks Unlimited's 75th anniversary celebration will continue throughout the year with special events in each state, merchandise, projects and promotions across the continent. The kickoff anniversary event will be held in New York City, home to DU's first headquarters. The gala event will be held Feb. 2 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, in conjunction with the international World Wetlands Day celebration.

A new section of the DU website, located at www.ducks.org/75, provides a comprehensive chronicling of the organization's conservation legacy. The site features an interactive timeline, a listing of all the anniversary events in 2012, special video messages from DU's partners and supporters and exciting stories and little-known facts from throughout DU's history. DU's 75th anniversary book, "The Ducks Unlimited Story," was released in December. This 208-page coffee-table book by Michael Furtman covers DU's first 75 years and features never-before-seen photos and documents from the DU archives. This book is available online now and a special edition will be offered at DU events throughout 2012.

Also highlighted online and in print this year will be 50 state projects lauded as DU's best of the best. Conservation staff chose a project from each state for stand-out impact and the project's representation of DU's 75 years of conservation work. These project profiles are featured on the DU website and will be displayed at DU state conventions and 75th anniversary events nationwide. "Conservation for Generations" is the theme of the 75th anniversary celebration, with an emphasis on conserving wetlands and waterfowl for future generations, as well as getting those future generations involved with DU today, by bringing a new hunter to the duck blind or purchasing a Greenwing youth membership for a child.

I had the privilege of recently attending a DU media camp, and while the hunting was great fun, the highlight of the trip, truly, was meeting all the DU folks--from biologists to policy experts to DU's communications staff--and getting a unique perspective on the DU mission, not only in terms of its many and varied conservation projects, but also DU's incredibly important public policy efforts. You can wish for all the ducks and wetland restoration you want, but unless you have someone in Washington trying (often in vain, unfortunately) to educate and influence the people who make the rules and control the purse strings, it's simply not going to happen.

If you don't believe that, then just try to imagine what the conservation landscape would look like today if we didn't have groups like DU looking out for our interests? And I can personally attest that, unlike many hired-gun Washington lobbyists, DU's guys aren't just suits, they're hunters, too. It's pretty cool sharing a pit blind with a guy who can schmooz a DC power cocktail party and blow a mean duck call with equal aplomb. And with the political battles for conservation funding promising to get even harder in the coming years, we're going to need a lot more of that.

So Happy Anniversary, DU. Keep it up... (and for more info on DU's 75th anniversary, check out their special 75th anniversary website)

New Gear for Waterfowl, Turkey and Upland Bird Hunting in 2012

Online Editors — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:25:15 -0500

While the SHOT Show has taken a tactical shooting turn, there are still some great products for bird hunters. Here are the best gear items we found this year.

National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic: A Hunting Expo Worth Attending

Sarah Smith — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:11:51 -0500

by Chad Love

The noted French existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre once famously opined that “Hell is other people.” As a lifelong misanthrope, I’ve found that little gem to be not only a great way to kill conversation at dinner parties, but a wholly satisfying life philosophy. It’s not that I don’t like people; it’s just that I try to avoid large numbers of them at all costs.

So when the website informed me that I would be attending SHOT this year with some 65,000 of my closest friends, and that I would even be allowed to wander the show floor unsupervised, I questioned the decision as either a gracious but misguided act of charity or the result of a lost bet.

I took pains to point out to my editors that in matters of tact, wit and other social graces I’m roughly on par with Bat Boy from the Weekly World News. I reminded them, too, that, frankly speaking, I prefer the company of dogs to outdoor industry types, and that as a preferred destination for the third week in January I’ll take a CRP field in Kansas over Las Vegas, Nevada, oh, about ten times out of ten.

But in the end I went, saw lots of things, met lots of people and surprisingly, considering my personality (or lack thereof), enjoyed myself. But as interesting as it was, by no stretch of the imagination can SHOT be considered a must-attend for gundog owners or bird hunters, unless, I suppose, you're into zombie canines. When you wander into a room looking for the latest in dog-training and wingshooting gear, and you’re handed a flyer advertising a door breaching seminar, you know you’re in the wrong section of the show. Or maybe you’re at the wrong show, period.

But one upcoming trade show that I can heartily recommend as a must-attend for gundog owners and upland birds hunters is the 2012 National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic held this year Feb. 17-20 in Kansas City, Missouri. I attended last year's show in Omaha, and in three full days of non-stop attendance, I still didn’t manage to get through all of the dog-training, bird-hunting and habitat seminars the show offered, nor did I manage to see all of the hundreds of upland and dog-specific vendors on the trade show floor (and with nary a zombie or zombie-themed product anywhere).

And this year's show promises to be even better, if for no other reason than the attendance of legendary trainer (and friend of late Field & Stream gundog editor Bill Tarrant) Delmar Smith, who will be participating in a daily roundtable "Ask the Experts" discussion, as well as giving a seminar entitled "Then and Now: 75 Years." For anyone interested in the history of bird hunting and bird dog training, that's certainly a must-see. In addition, Rick and Ronnie Smith, Tom Dokken, Bob West and a host of other professional trainers will be conducting seminars throughout the show, along with a ton of seminars devoted to upland hunting, habitat improvement, research findings and wild game cooking (Here's the seminar schedule).

I'll be there from the opening "Bird Dog Parade" on Friday all the way through Sunday afternoon. If you're planning to attend, be sure to say hello if you happen to run into me on the show floor. You can't miss me, I'll be the one dressed up as the zombie bird hunter. Don't laugh, man, SHOT inspired me. I think bird hunters are behind the curve on this one. We need to get on and ride this zeitgeist while it's hot...

The Best Shotguns of 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:56:43 -0500

Conservation Update: Clean Water Finding Few Friends in Washington

Sarah Smith — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:42:15 -0500

by Bob Marshall

When it comes to wetlands protections, it's hard for sportsmen to find any heroes in Washington these days. We have a House majority that spent last year shouting its opposition to restoring protections to 20 million acres of vital wetlands stripped by the Supreme Court, and vows to continue that assault this election cycle. And we have a president who makes a lot of noise about helping--but then doesn't follow through.

So as Congress returns to work this month, sportsmen's conservation groups find themselves fighting on two fronts in the battle to restore protections to those temporary and isolated wetlands. Here's the situation:

When the GOP blocked attempts to correct those court rulings with the proposed Clean Water Restoration Act, conservationists were cheered when the Obama Administration stepped in last spring sending its agencies a proposed new wetland "guidance"--spelling out which wetlands they could protect. This wouldn't put protections back on everything, but it would help.

The next step would be the start of a legally required "rule-making process"--a series of hearings in which the administration laid out how the agencies could go about protecting those wetlands outlined in the guidance.

One year later nothing has happened.

That proposed guidance has never been made official--even after an extended comment period (which, by the way, wasn't legally required). And the rule-making process has never started.

So now we're entering an election cycle, one that promises to be especially nasty with some on the GOP side already (and incorrectly) blaming regulations for the high unemployment rate. Sportsmen's groups expects the going to be especially tough.

The real fear is that the Obama Administration and congress people who had been acting as friends before the campaigns start will back off if they see supporting protection could cost them votes. You can expect the well-financed special interests opposed to these protections--the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, energy sectors and agriculture--to pour money into the issue trying to convince voters--and the candidates seeking their support--to oppose the regulations.

"The push back on this has been enormous," said Steve Kline, working the issue for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. "We don't expect any let up this year. We're really facing a deadline if the administration doesn't get moving on this."

Sportsmen can help by firing off letters and emails to their congressional reps--as well as the administration. You can find out how at www.contactingthecongress.org.